Blackout
by ChainGun Butch
Summary: Korra meets somebody very strange in her cell at the police station. Who is this person and what's his goal? He seems nice enough but also very cunning... Follow Korra's adventure as worlds collide, tempers flare and people are beaten up by a dude in a gas mask. Rated M because of langauge and because I like the letter. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!


**Right then! The first scene takes place before Korra meets Lin Beifong. I might change the lore a teeny bit but I won't make any major changes.**

Korra was escorted through the hallways of the Republic City Police HQ until the officers walked her into an interrogation cell. There was already someone else in the cell, their hands bound with metal clamps. She assumed it was a guy but a weird gas mask that covered his entire face stopped her from being certain. She stopped walking and stared at his ears. They were the most bizarre thing she had ever seen on a person. They were at least twice as long as an average person's and stopped at a point just behind his head.

"Keep moving." One of the guards said and strapped her into the restraints next to him.

"Your questioner will be here shortly." The other officer said and left with his companion.

Korra continued to stare at the guy. Aside from his mask, he wore a simple sleeveless, black shirt and leather gloves. He wore long pants and combat boots of some kind. As far as Korra could tell with him sitting down, he was quite tall but also fairly skinny. Strange Black tattoos swirled around the pale skin that was visible on his arms and the back of his head.

She was surprised when he spoke.

"So, what are you in for?" He asked in a voice that almost sounded happy. By his voice, Korra guessed he was about seventeen.

"Oh, uh… The short version is I saw some thugs extorting a shopkeeper and I tried to give the guy a hand. I caught the chumps but the police arrested me because of the damage I caused to the street." Korra said.

"Yeah, that's standard law system crap for you. Pardon my French." The guy said.

"Your what?" Korra asked.

"Uh… never mind. It's an old expression where I come from that would take a while to explain." The guy said.

There was an awkward silence for a few more moments.

"What about you? Judging by your gear, you're not exactly a common thug." Korra said.

"Keen eye, most people would call me a mercenary but I prefer the term "paid vigilante" since I don't take any jobs that involve mindless crime. Heh… I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. I saw some protestors or something firebombing an office building… I had the right gear and training to deal with them and none of these chump-ass police were nearby so I knocked some heads. Problem being, the police showed up, saw me knocking a bunch of "civilians" around and then noticed the building was on fire. So naturally, they let the other guys go and blame the guy with about fifteen knives shoved down his boot. You should have seen the security officer's face when he disarmed me. I'll bet my ribcage his exact thoughts were "Holy shit, this guy's a bottomless armoury." The guy said, getting a small laugh from Korra.

"Well, I hope you get your mess sorted out." Korra said.

"Thanks, you too. My name's Blackout by the way. Obviously not my real name but most Shadowrunners I know use a codename or something. Using your real name in my line of work is suicide." Blackout said.

"I'm Korra, nice to meet you. So I'm guessing a Shadowrunner is what you call a "paid vigilante". So uh… what's with the…" Korra began.

"Ears? I was born with them. I'll tell you what. When we get out of here, I'll explain it to you. I suspect we'll be seeing a lot of each other. I was hired to come and meet you about something, avatar Korra." Blackout said.

"How did you…?" Korra began.

"I like to think I have a keen eye for people. I'm also the best at digging up dirt. Let's see what I can get from you, shall we? Hmm, you're brave, a tad bit reckless but also intelligent, you're not afraid to talk with your fists and you seem sure of yourself. I detect a hint of frustration, possibly something to do with your avatar training. Hmm, also a bit of awkwardness. You lived an isolated life as a child and most likely had very few friends or made friends with someone or something strange… probably an animal?" Blackout said, getting Korra to stare.

"I'm a people person. I can see these things." Blackout said and before Korra could respond the door to the cell opened.

A woman with slightly greying hair and a face that said "Don't cause shit or I will end you" walked in. she didn't bother with introductions and cut to the business.

"Let's start with you young lady. Multiple counts of destruction of private and public property, evading arrest, obstruction of justice, disturbing the peace… You're in a whole mess of trouble young lady." The woman said as she sat down on the opposite end of the table.

Suddenly Blackout faked a very loud sneeze and made a sniffing sound.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that I'm allergic to bullshit." He said, forcing Korra to try to hide a grin, despite being cautious of the guy.

"Shut your mouth before I shut it for you." The woman growled.

"Why officer, if I didn't know better I'd say you were hitting on me just then. I'm sorry but I'm afraid you're not my type. Unless of course I'm misunderstanding how you plan to shut my mouth…" Blackout said, obviously trying to annoy the woman by laughing at her threat.

This time Korra struggled to hide her laughter, she was warming up to this guy. He seemed to dislike their situation as much as her.

The woman's eye briefly twitched.

"Alright, we'll start with you. No name in our files, birth certificate, and no information at all until you start firebombing office clinics. You wouldn't be able to afford all your equipment unless you were working for someone. So, who hired you?" The woman asked.

"Alright fine, the jig is up. I notice you've got paper with you. Start writing this down because every time I have to repeat it to someone else I risk losing my life." Blackout said.

The woman nodded.

"Alright, the guy who hired me Is named Lee Qong, his public payphone number is 0345 874 8494. His address is 197 Trevton Avenue in Main Square." Blackout said and the woman wrote all the information down.

The woman suddenly grew red faced and threw her clipboard at Blackout. "YOU JUST GAVE THE INFORMATION FOR A STEAK HOUSE!" she growled through gritted teeth.

Korra was already about to burst but Blackout wasn't finished.

"No shit. But, jokes aside I recommend you go there sometime. Their salads are the best. Also, I hear they give discounts to constipated cops…" Blackout finished the punchline.

Korra burst out laughing.

The woman slammed her fist into the wall.

"Is this a joke to you? Seven people are in the hospital because of that firebombing!" She yelled.

"Well, that's very sad officer but the fact is I didn't firebomb any buildings. As you have most probably seen in a report from your crap-ass-police there were three other people who I was fighting when they arrived and those three assholes should be considered suspects. Also, I saw them examine the firebombs that hadn't been thrown yet, the ones left on the sidewalk. Those were homemade cocktails and as I'm sure you noticed, the weapons that were confiscated from me are military grade. If I could afford all those, why would I go to the trouble of making cocktails, which aren't half as effective for setting shit on fire, and leave my decent hardware inside my pocket? I understand you've got circumstantial evidence but you haven't got any REAL evidence. You also have no witness reports other than those of your officers, who only arrived to see a burning building with me next to it and who didn't see anything concrete for themselves. If you insist I'll pay your fine but by law, that's all you can make me do, given the circumstances." Blackout finished, leaving the officer deep in thought.

"Ugh, fine, joker. I obviously cannot let you keep those weapons, even though you have licences for them. They will be considered evidence of this case. I'll let you go this time but if I ever see you again… let's just say I shouldn't be seeing you again. You'll be free to go when you've paid your fine and I'm done with this young lady." The woman said and turned to Korra.

"Look I know that I tore some shops up but the alterative was letting the thugs get away. See… I'm the avatar, it's my duty to help people." Korra said.

"I cannot believe I'm saying this but considering I just cleared joker over there and that you're a saint compared to him, you're free to go as soon as you pay the fine." The woman said.

"How much is it?" Korra asked.

"You both have to pay three thousand yuans each.

"I uh, don't have any money, per say…" Korra began.

"Mam, I don't suppose you'll take the piece of gold in my back pocket?" Blackout asked.

"Oh please, nobody would be dumb enough to…" the woman began but stopped short. She'd just taken a solid gold coin out of Blackout's pocket.

"Will that cover both our fines? If there's any money left over consider it a donation to the police department." Blackout said.

The woman blinked.

"Ugh… stupid kids running around with damn gold in their pockets…" she mumbled as she pocketed the very, very valuable piece of shiny stuff.

"Alright, you're…" the woman began but was interrupted when a young officer opened up a hatch on the wall.

"uh…chief Beifong? Councilman Tenzin is here to see you." He said, a little nervous.

"Wait, Beifong? As in Lin Beifong? Your Toph's daughter!" Korra said.

"What of it?" Lin raised an eyebrow but didn't wait for a reply as a tall man, with a bald head and a long beard walked in. He wore orange and yellow robes and didn't look very happy.

"Ah Lin, you're looking radiant as usual." Tenzin began.

"Cut the garbage, Tenzin. What is the avatar doing here? I thought she was supposed to be with you in the South Pole." Lin said.

"I was forced to return to the city but the avatar, on the other hand, will be heading back to the North Pole, where she will stay put. If you would be so kind as to drop the charges I will take full responsibility for today's events and cover all the damages." Tenzin said.

"They've already been covered." Lin said simply.

"What? By who?" Tenzin asked surprised.

"Apparently the avatar has made a new friend who carries a chunk of gold around in his pocket…" Lin said sarcastically.

Tenzin seemed to notice Blackout for the first time and stared at his ears for a few moments before speaking.

"And you are…?" He began.

"I go by the name Blackout. Councilman Tenzin, I understand that there's obviously some sort of tension here but I'm not going to get involved with that. I was hired by ah… someone… to deliver a message that is for your and avatar Korra's eyes only… assuming the police recruits haven't already gone through my personal affects like jacka…um… anyway, I would very much appreciate it if you were to allow me to tag along until we find a private place for me to show you the document. I understand this is highly suspicious but rest assured… the documents are of the utmost importance.

Chief Beifong, if you would allow me to retrieve my personal affects and my documents I would appreciate it." Blackout said

Chief Beifong looked confused that Blackout could go from funny-ass punk to polite gentleman in three seconds but eventually she gave up on figuring him out.

"Alright, I'll have one of my officers lead you to your items. As I said before, you will not be allowed to take any of your weapons but anything else that was confiscated, you can leave with." Chief Beifong said.

"Alright, "Blackout" let's go get these documents you seem to think are so important." Tenzin said and the young officer from before led them to the evidence vault.

"The chief said this guy is free to take whatever was confiscated from him except any of his weapons." He said to the burly officer at the door.

The man grumbled a reply and they were lead to a large locker that the young man opened and piled all of Blackout's gear onto a nearby table.

"Here you go sir, you can take anything that isn't a weapon." The man said.

Blackout first grabbed a black trench coat-type-jacket and made sure to check the pockets before he continued. Aside from his jacket, he had various pieces of metal and hard leather that he attached together to make up a strong looking set of body armour hidden underneath his coat.

Next he took out a large envelope that looked ready to explode from being too full of paper.

Next he strapped a strange, glowing wristband to his wrist and pressed a few buttons on it, making it glow a few strange symbols and, satisfied his device worked, pressed a button and the glowing stopped.

After that he took a metal backpack and with a few commands on his wristband, a few metal arms came out of it. Korra wondered where he had gotten his technology and what other surprised he had up his sleeve.

Next he did something even weirder. There were several small pieces of metal on the table and Blackout held them up to the back of his head, where his black hair went off in all different directions. There was a sort of spark and they flew into place on his spinal column.

"Ah, that's better. I always feel naked without my implants." Blackout said as he continued to attach pieces of body armour inside and outside of his trench coat. By the end he looked just short of a tank.

"What were those?" Korra asked, referring to the small pieces of metal.

"Do you mind if I explain later? You probably won't believe me if I don't explain the whole thing." Blackout said.

Korra looked at him for a moment before shrugging. They took Tenzin's car back to the docks and from there a boat to air Temple Island.

When they were a fair distance out on the water Blackout looked over to see a dejected Korra and thought he'd try to cheer her up.

"I've seen that face before. That's the face of someone who doesn't have hope." He said as he walked up beside her.

"I just wish I could finally get out of that compound in the South Pole. I've been secluded there my whole life and I know that I'm ready for the big world." Korra said and sighed.

"I know how you feel. That feeling of being trapped is horrible." Blackout said.

"Yeah, so what's your experience with the feeling?" Korra asked, still not looking back.

"I've lived in the shadow of society for most of my life. I know what it feels like to want to build your life up but not being able to." Blackout said.

Thank you for trying to cheer me up. I've only known you for a few hours and you've already done a lot for me." Korra said.

"Thanks, I appreciate you saying that." Blackout said and stared at the island.

"Hmm… nice place." He said.

"Yeah, pity we won't be there for long. What with me being shipped back to the South Pole and all." Korra sighed.

"I'll see if I can help." Blackout said and went to talk to Tenzin.

"Councilman, do you mind if I speak to you for a moment?" Blackout asked.

"What… oh yes. What's on your mind?" Tenzin asked.

"Councilman, I understand it isn't my place to interfere with these matters but I feel I have to point a few things out." Blackout said.

"And…?" Tenzin asked.

"I know a few things about avatar Aang's history and he saved the world with a small group of friends and only had a mastery of air bending when he started his journey. You've kept Korra locked in a compound for most of her life, for her own safety I grant you but Korra's the avatar, not a helpless child. I think it's time you allowed her some authority over her own life. She won't learn anything practical if she's isolated. She'll learn bending but she won't get any real experience of the world.

Avatar Aang did fine with a group of friends and he was put into a worse starting position than Korra. Yes, there's risk involved with letting Korra have a certain amount of authority but the benefits are huge. Please, councilman, it's time you let Korra grow up." Blackout finished trying to persuade Tenzin.

The man was lost in thought for a few moments before he finally sighed.

"You make a good argument but Korra isn't Aang, she's not my peace-loving father, she's a hard-headed, sometimes reckless, avatar that isn't afraid to talk with her fists." Tenzin said.

"You make it sound like she isn't like this for a reason. The way I understand it, Korra's headstrong for a reason, I think you should just let her try to make her own decisions and mistakes, it's the only way to let her grow." Blackout said.

Tenzin tried his best to think of a better argument but Blackout had him beat.

"Spirits, I hope I'm not doing something foolish." Tenzin said and they walked over to a dejected Korra.

"Korra, I'm not certain if this is the right choice but blackout has persuaded me to allow you to stay at air temple island and continue your training." Tenzin said and Korra' face lit up.

She tackled them both in a hug.

"Thank you! Yes! Finally!" Korra yelled.

Tenzin sighed.

Korra released them and soon the boat came into dock.

"Korra!" the kids screamed and tackled Korra in a hug.

"Are you coming to live with us on the island?!" one asked.

"Yeah, I guess I am." Korra said and shot a grateful smile at Blackout.

"YEAAAAHHHH!" The kids yelled.

After everyone had calmed down a bit Tenzin spoke up.

"Now then, Blackout, I trust you can now show us your message." He asked.

"Yep, wherever you want." Blackout said and the kids seemed to notice him for the first time.

"Cool! Daddy? Why does that man have funny ears?" Ikki asked.

"I was born with them." Blackout said.

They continued up the road to the temple with Blackout being bombarded with questions. He seemed very happy when they finally reached the top and the kids went to go call their mother.

"Okay, let me give you this stuff before they get back." He said quickly.

"We understand your city is having problems with a group called the Equalists. I've spent the last week gathering all the information you could ever need on them. I represent a group called the Shadowrunners. We're basically a band of mercenaries but we mostly only take security work. As you can imagine that doesn't do much to make ends meet. If I give you this information on the Equalists I ask one favour in return." Blackout said.

"What would that be?" Tenzin asked, suspicious.

"It's quite simple. Republic City has more crime than the Police can handle. My group is highly trained and we know the streets well. If you were to convince the council to fund a… let's call it a "Licenced Vigilante program". If we would be able to take jobs from the police to capture criminals and such, we could earn a living for ourselves, help deal with Republic city's crime and give the police force people who know what the slums and poverty are like. We know how criminals think; we've been rubbing shoulders with them for a while. You might ask yourself; "why not just join the police force?" We would simply become police but we don't work like that. Police are very limited by laws and morals compared to us. We won't break the boundaries you set for us but we'll go to their limit, unlike the police. We'll be much more versatile and the people in my group do not enjoy having any advantages taken away from them, which is why they won't be run-of-the-mill cops." Blackout said, voicing his proposition.

Tenzin was silent for a few moments. Then he sighed.

"You make a persuasive argument. I'll agree to try to convince the other members of the council to fund this on two conditions. You need to show me your face and explain what happened to your ears. I understand you may think that irrelevant but I suppose you could say I am… curious." Tenzin said.

Without a word, Blackout removed his mask. His face was quite slim and his grey eyes were hard to read but he had a warm smile. Looking at him, Korra was sure he was about her age.

"Alright, my real name is Garret Black. I don't know for sure where my ears came from but my mother always told me my father was a spirit who fell in love with her. Weird, I know, I don't have any other explanation for you." Garret said.

Tenzin was again, deep in thought.

"Alright, I'll present your findings to the council tomorrow. In the meantime, you may stay here." Tenzin said and Garret handed him the envelope.

"Thank you, Councilman." Garret said and they both bowed. Tenzin went inside, saying he'd show them around in a moment.

Garret turned to Korra.

"Score one for the G-man!" he said.

Korra laughed.

"Yeah, that sounded better in my head." Garret said and they headed inside. Korra playfully punched his shoulder on the way in.

A few more hours into the night and Garret found he was unable to sleep. He grabbed his wristband from his bedside table and typed in a few commands.

"Hey, Blackout! How'd it go?!" the burly guy on the other end laughed.

"I'm not sure yet, councilman Tenzin is going to propose it at a press conference tomorrow but hopefully we'll get lucky." Garret said.

"You should know by now that we never get lucky. It comes with the job." Eric Lee said.

"I know, I know. But I've got a good feeling about this one…" Garret said and his thoughts to Korra.

**I think may have been the longest first chapter I've ever written. Wow. Please read and review and the next chap will hopefully be up soon.**


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